Tuesday, September 29, 2009

I couldn't believe it, but a couple weeks back, I discovered that I had won some FABULOUS blog candy over at Christine Creations. Let me tell you, this girl does BEAUTIFUL work and I was just thrilled that I won....1) because I never win anything and 2) I've definitely never won any candy despite the many many times I've left comments to try, LOL! Check out what I won HERE. Oh yes....it's good to win! :) Anyway, I wanted to make a Thank You card for Christine for her generosity! I used the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge for inspiration.

I didn't want to use the traditional "thank you" greeting, so I went with "You're the Best" from Verve's Kindred Spirits set. You ARE the best Christine, and thank you so much for the sweet candy. :)

Here's a quick rundown of the deets.The card base is Very Vanilla and all of the designer paper comes from Cosmo Cricket's Girl Friday. I used the Nestabilities Labels 1 die and then stamped the dots within with Papertrey's Vintage Labels in Rose Red ink. The chipboard flower is from Stampin' Up! as well as the leaves. I covered them with Very Vanilla craft and Old Olive craft ink and then glittered the flower with Martha Stewart's fine glitter. I also added some Bamboo Leaf Shimmerz Spritz to the leaves. The buttons are from my stash and the little butterflies were punched with a Martha Stewart punch I bought at Michael's a while back. Hope you enjoyed it! :)

PS. I'll be celebrating something VERY special tomorrow so watch for it...you just may win something fantastic yourself! :)

Friday, September 25, 2009

So my big secret I've been drooling over is that I bought my very first electronic die cutting machine a couple weeks ago. Yes...I caved and bought the Slice! I am absolutely in love with it! I've made little tags here and there on the cards I've been posting for the last week. :) Sneaky me!So for today's card, I wanted to have some text be my focal image. Thanks to the Creating Keepsakes Convention last weekend, I got some GREAT design cards at even greater prices! I cut "Trick or Treat" out from the Words and Expressions Holiday design card from black glitter cardstock. The sketch layout came from the latest CPS134 Challenge. Ok, 'nuff jibba jabba..here's the card!See that gray flower? That was actually a stark white flower from the Stampin' Up! Pretties kit and I sprayed it entirely with new Licorice mini Spritz! JUST the look I was hoping for and I love it!I used a Specialty Paper Pack from Making Memories called Spook Alley that I found at Target! The ghost charm was also from the Spook Alley line.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

How about some Clean and Simple cards for the Holiday season? Since I'm starting my cards early (thanks blogging!) I should have plenty by the time the holiday arrives. :) I decided to make a trio of cards using the Clean and Simple challenge over at Splitcoast. It was a sketch challenge, and this sketch just really lent itself to some great simple cards!

The first card I did was a Stampin' Up! only card. I use Kraft cardstock as my base and then ran whisper white and chocolate chip cardstock through my Big Shot with the Top Note die. I then stamped the reindeer from Dasher and the greeting from the Christmas Greetings set. The ribbon is the new polka dot red grosgrain. Very simple and quick! I decided to take it a step further and use some of my new Papertrey goodies. :)

I used very similar materials here, EXCEPT I used the Labels 1 die with the new matching Vintage Labels as well as the new Signature Christmas set. LOVE These new sets!! So again, same layout, similar look!

And finally my last card using almost entirely Papertrey supplies. I still used the same layout here, just turned it upright. I also wanted to try a different color scheme for variety. :) I stamped the damask from Vintage Labels in real red ink atop the Pink Pirouette cardstock. All of the images (except for the greeting) are included in the Vintage Labels stamp set. Isn't it just lovely?! For a little interest, I added a red Prima and some foliage punched in certainly celery from a Martha Stewart punch.

I hope you like the inspiration! I'd love to hear which card you like the most. :)

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

So a couple Sundays ago, I held my last downline meeting *sniffle*. It was GREAT to get together with all my friends and stamp and visit, and we have vowed to get together again soon. Special thanks to those that drove a long ways just to see me. :)

Anyway, we had a blast doing a shoebox swap and I just wanted to share everyone's creations, so here goes!

Amy's card

Anh's cardAnitra's cardJane's cardLauren's cardValeria's cardAnd you can view more details about Valeria's card on her blog here!

Thanks for looking and I hope to be able to stamp tonight! I've been feeling under the weather, but got LOTS of sleep last night.

Monday, September 21, 2009

And I just looooove Vintage! I was thrilled to hear that the latest colors would be Vintage, and oh my, did I try and pack as many of the new colors onto my cards, LOL! But that wasn't all the news they gave us....we have new MINI Spritz now too!! WHAT?!?! Now I can take all my Shimmerz to crops in smaller bottles. :)So let's move onto the cards, shall we?

For my first card, I went with a Vintage Halloween card. I started by spritzing my new mini Spritz in Treasured Hymn all over my base Kraft cardstock. I then took some new Making Memories designer paper and spritzed that with my new mini Licorice Spritz. But I didn't stop there! The "spooky" bingo card also got a few Licorice spritz. You know, I was a bit apprehensive about putting a dark spray on top of my paper, but it really turned out great...and VINTAGE! :) And I just kept on going! I painted my flower with new Vintage Wine as well as my drippy goo edge punching under the ribbon.

And for my next card, I wanted to go with a Shabby Vintage Chic. :)

Now this card I'm totally partial too because I just love the look of Shabby Chic. If I could have my house in that style, I would, but I think my husband would kill me, LOL! Anywho, I did some fun stuff with my new Wed Wagon Shimmerz on this one. First, I used Vanilla cardstock as my base, distressed the edges and then "painted" my Shimmerz on with a sponge. But how Melissa, you ask, did you do that?! Well, I actually dipped my sponge into the LID of my pot instead of the actual pot. This way, it wasn't entirely drippy and I grabbed exactly what I needed. I then just did direct to paper, just gently swiping the color onto the cardstock and it looks just like a beautiful color wash! Love it! I also did the same to my embossed cardstock. Wed Wagon was also painted onto my flower AND sponged onto the glittered chipboard.

And that is all for me for today! I hope you enjoyed the samples and are inspired to make some Vintage with the new Shimmerz!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Lord have Mercy!! Thanks to my good friend, Valeria, I found another sketch challenge to play in. :) She has turned me on to yet another challenge, and I just can't resist them. I just really wish I had more time to participate in all of them!! You can find her sketch challenge HERE.Thanks to a great sale on Copics over Memorial Day weekend, I couldn't wait to get them to paper. And you also know that I just can't resist these little Asian inspired images from Hero Arts and when I saw the Christmas ones... OY!!! You know momma had to have it! :)

I used a brand new toy on this card that I'm going to have to talk about in another post later just because it's SO COOL!! I know, I'm such a tease. :) Anyway, colored her in with Copics and then used some white Fun Flock on her trimmings. That stuff is AWESOME!!! I also used some retired Snowflake flurries from Stampin' Up! in last year's holiday mini (I have tons of these leftover!) The paper is the mini deck Jolly by Golly from Cosmo Cricket. And, because the snowflakes didn't shimmer enough for my taste...I also had to spritz with Baby's Breath Spritz. :)

Hope you are having a great week and I am ready for the weekend....WOOHOOO!!!

Monday, September 14, 2009

So I was just THRILLED to see Taylored Expressions latest release and couldn't wait to get this latest set, Spooky Expressions. It's TOOO cute!! What can I say too, I love Halloween! :) I used her latest Sketch Challenge for inspiration.

I actually put a lot of detail into this card, but had a blast doing it! I colored the owl in with my Copics and popped him off the tree. The bat was stamped and then cut out and then smothered with Eyeliner Sparkly Fluff.....let the "ooohing and aaaaahing" commence. :) HAHA!! The bottom "tag" is chipboard from my stash that I covered in some fine Cosmo glitter in purple from Stampin' Up!. I also HAD to add a little Pixie Dust Blingz to the webs in the trees. :)

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Sometimes you gotta just kick back and enjoy the small stuff. Easier said than done, huh?! LOL! I totally was feeling this card though. I want to live by this! Enough talk though, let's check out the card. :)

I created this card for the latest MOJO challenge...and contest, might I add! Can you believe, there was no stamping involved?! Pretty much all of the materials are from Cosmo Cricket's Earth Love and rub-ons. And you also know how I love to use my Shimmerz. :) I wanted to see if I could paint on my rub-on, and 'lo and behold, it worked!! My sweet little butterfly in the brad merely had an outline for wings. Well, what butterfly's wings don't shimmer? Not a butterfly of mine!!! I painted on one of Shimmerz new summer colors, Island Salsa Blingz.

Speaking of new colors....it's already time to release some NEWER colors at Shimmerz!! Can you say.....VINTAGE?? :)Keep your eyes peeled around the 21st of this month!

Oh yeah...less talk, more closeup of the butterfly!

And that is all from me today. Don't forget to enjoy the small stuff. :) TGIF almost!!!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

And who could resist that adorable little face?!?! I immediately thought of my little Catie in that costume saying that just simply with her eyes, rofl! Thusly, I could not resist getting this little set! It's a set sold at Archiver's called Costume Kids by Stampendous. I made this card following the Clean and Simple challenge over at Splitcoast to use pop-up dots. I also followed (albeit a bit loosely), the Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge.

I inked her up with my Memento ink and then colored her sweetly with my Prismacolor pencils and blended with a stump and odorless minerals. Haven't done that in a while, but thoroughly enjoyed it! Ahhh...therapy in a little pencil and nub. :D Hope you enjoyed the card and you are just as thrilled as I am about Halloween upcoming!! Woooot!

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Boy did I have a rough week this week, so I NEEDED some retail therapy. Off I went to check and see the latest goodies at my local Archiver's and low and behold, found this adorable Halloween set by Hero Arts called Owl-Oween. I pulled some retired Halloween dsp from Stampin' Up! called Creepy Crawly that was actually unopened and brought up the latest Taylored Expression Sketch Challenge and went to work! This card actually came together pretty quickly because there wasn't much coloring to do...OR much stamping! :) I did color the ghost a bit with my Copics just for highlighting. I used Stardust Stickles just inside the line of the ghost for added spookiness! hah!And see my little chipboard circle on the bottom left? I colored it white, poured on some Martha Stewart glitter and then spritzed it with Caribbean Sunset Spritz. Instant gratification in making my glitter have a hint of color.

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday weekend! (For those in the states) :)

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

At least that it is what I'm trying to convince myself. :) I participated in a swap between Paper Popsicles and Shimmerz and was thrilled to receive a whole package of scrapbooking goodies. Now, you all know that I RARELY scrapbook, so bear with me here.

Here's my first layout using some paper from SEI. I used my favorite technique with stamping with Shimmerz. All those tone on tone flowers are very Shimmery. See here!

I inked up my flower stamp with Versamark and then spritzed my Baby's Breath Spritz directly onto the stamp and then stamped...VOILA! So easy and leaves a beautiful effect.

This was my 2nd layout...I couldn't do just one with all of the goodies they sent!!! :) This uses paper from Pebbles. As you can see, I shimmered up my flowers. And here's a better view.

Let me tell you...I'm such a novice at scrapbooking that it took me like 5 hours per page to complete, LOL! I need help! Actually, I probably just need more practice. I'm very happy with the results though! :)